diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 21d9545724..0d03262312 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -8,6 +8,8 @@ COMPARE ?= 1
 NON_MATCHING ?= 0
 # If ORIG_COMPILER is 1, compile with QEMU_IRIX and the original compiler
 ORIG_COMPILER ?= 0
+# Keep .mdebug section in build
+KEEP_MDEBUG ?= 0
 
 ifeq ($(NON_MATCHING),1)
   CFLAGS := -DNON_MATCHING
@@ -68,6 +70,12 @@ LD         := $(MIPS_BINUTILS_PREFIX)ld
 OBJCOPY    := $(MIPS_BINUTILS_PREFIX)objcopy
 OBJDUMP    := $(MIPS_BINUTILS_PREFIX)objdump
 
+ifeq ($(KEEP_MDEBUG),0)
+  RM_MDEBUG = $(OBJCOPY) --remove-section .mdebug $@
+else
+  RM_MDEBUG = @:
+endif
+
 # Check code syntax with host compiler
 CHECK_WARNINGS := -Wall -Wextra -Wno-format-security -Wno-unknown-pragmas -Wno-unused-parameter -Wno-unused-variable -Wno-missing-braces -Wno-int-conversion -Wno-unused-but-set-variable -Wno-unused-label
 CC_CHECK   := gcc -fno-builtin -fsyntax-only -funsigned-char -std=gnu90 -D _LANGUAGE_C -D NON_MATCHING -Iinclude -Isrc -Iassets -Ibuild -include stdarg.h $(CHECK_WARNINGS)
@@ -236,6 +244,7 @@ init:
 
 build/assets/%.o: assets/%.c
 	$(CC) -I build/ -c $(CFLAGS) $(MIPS_VERSION) $(OPTFLAGS) -o $@ $<
+	$(RM_MDEBUG)
 
 #### Various Recipes ####
 
@@ -263,23 +272,27 @@ build/src/overlays/%.o: src/overlays/%.c
 # 	the following is moved to a separate rule that is only run once when all the required objects have been compiled. 
 	$(ZAPD) bovl -eh -i $@ -cfg $< --outputpath $(@D)/$(notdir $(@D))_reloc.s
 	(test -f $(@D)/$(notdir $(@D))_reloc.s && $(AS) $(ASFLAGS) $(@D)/$(notdir $(@D))_reloc.s -o $(@D)/$(notdir $(@D))_reloc.o) || true
+	$(RM_MDEBUG)
 
 build/src/%.o: src/%.c
 	$(CC) -c $(CFLAGS) $(MIPS_VERSION) $(OPTFLAGS) -o $@ $<
 	$(CC_CHECK) $<
 	@$(OBJDUMP) -d $@ > $(@:.o=.s)
+	$(RM_MDEBUG)
 
 build/src/libultra/libc/ll.o: src/libultra/libc/ll.c
 	$(CC) -c $(CFLAGS) $(MIPS_VERSION) $(OPTFLAGS) -o $@ $<
 	$(CC_CHECK) $<
 	python3 tools/set_o32abi_bit.py $@
 	@$(OBJDUMP) -d $@ > $(@:.o=.s)
+	$(RM_MDEBUG)
 
 build/src/libultra/libc/llcvt.o: src/libultra/libc/llcvt.c
 	$(CC) -c $(CFLAGS) $(MIPS_VERSION) $(OPTFLAGS) -o $@ $<
 	$(CC_CHECK) $<
 	python3 tools/set_o32abi_bit.py $@
 	@$(OBJDUMP) -d $@ > $(@:.o=.s)
+	$(RM_MDEBUG)
 
 # Build C files from assets
 build/%.inc.c: %.png
diff --git a/diff_settings.py b/diff_settings.py
index 45d56dc2b2..a6cee9dc80 100755
--- a/diff_settings.py
+++ b/diff_settings.py
@@ -5,3 +5,4 @@ def apply(config, args):
     config['myimg'] = 'mm.us.rev1.rom_uncompressed.z64'
     config['mapfile'] = 'build/mm.map'
     config['source_directories'] = ['./src','./include']
+    config['makeflags'] = ['KEEP_MDEBUG=1']